andrejthechef
PhilippinesStewSideGluten-freeDairy-free

Pinakbet Ilocano

Bitter melon, eggplant, okra and tomatoes cooked together with fermented fish or shrimp paste, from the Ilocos region.

prep
20 min
cook
30 min
total
50 min
serves
4
level
easy
Pinakbet Ilocano, a dish from Ilocos

Pinakbet is Ilocos's vegetable showcase: bitter melon, eggplant, okra, squash and long beans cooked together with fermented fish sauce, the region's signature seasoning over the shrimp paste used elsewhere in the country.

The vegetables go in hardest first, so everything from the dense squash to the quick-cooking bitter melon finishes at roughly the same time.

Part of our 20 best Filipino recipes list.

method

  1. Heat the oil in a wide pan, and cook the pork belly, if using, until lightly browned.

  2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes.

  3. Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Stir in the fermented fish sauce or shrimp paste, then add the water or stock.

  5. Add the squash first, since it takes longest, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

  6. Add the eggplant, long beans and okra, and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes.

  7. Add the bitter melon last, and cook for a final 5 minutes, just until tender but not mushy.

  8. Serve warm as a side with rice.

chef's tips

  • Add the vegetables in stages, hardest first, so everything finishes at roughly the same time instead of some turning to mush while others stay raw.
  • Bitter melon lives up to its name, and that bitterness is the point here, balanced by the saltiness of the fermented fish sauce rather than removed entirely.
  • Pinakbet comes from the Ilocos region, known for its reliance on fermented fish sauce rather than the shrimp paste more common elsewhere in the Philippines.
  • A little pork adds richness, but the dish works as a fully vegetable side if you leave it out.